Railway signal-torpedo.



F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1916.

I 1,250,119, v Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

1 earns FRANK BUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR T0 CENTRAL RAILW'AY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DUTCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to Fi 3 is a transverse, sectional view on the lihe a-a of Fig. 2.;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank 1n WhlCh the tablet explosive is wrapped.

Referring now to the drawings 1n which like reference numerals denote the same parts, 1 is the case of the torpedo 1n its completed form with the rail engaging strap 2 extending longitudinally from -1ts ends, for securing it to a rail 3 by bending it around the head of the rail in a manner well understood by those skilled in this art.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 4:, illustrating the blank from which the case is formed, this blank has an elongated bodyportion 4. From one end of this body-portion 4, lateral flaps 5 extend 1n opposlte directions and intermediate laterally extending flaps '6 are also provided. These flaps 6 are each provided with a strap recelvlng opening 7.

An explosive tablet 8 of rectangular form and of a length approximately equal to the width of the body portion 4 is placed upon the blank at the point 9. The laterally extending flaps 5 are then turned lnward over the explosive approximately at the points indicated by the lines a. The tablet is then rolled in the direction longitudinal the body 4 of the blank, the blank doubling approximately at the points indicated by the dotted lines I). When the rolling has reached the point 10 of the blank, the flaps 6 are bent cated at'c. When the blanks are in this upward position the rail-engaging strap 2 is passed through the openings 7, after which the ends of the flaps 6 are turned over inwardly approximately on the lines (1. The rolling then continues the blank doubling approximately at the points indicated by the lines 6 until the end of the blank is reached. The blank is coated with suitable cement as indicated inFig. 4, preferably of a water-proof nature, so that the parts are cemented in their folded and wrapped positions around the explosive tablet 8 forming a complete case therefor. After the tablet is inclosed in the case made from the blank as described, it may be dipped into a suitable water-proofing compound for the purpose of further inclosing it against the entrance of moisture or rain.

While it is preferred to provide the flaps 6 with openings 7 for the rail-engaging strap, the openings may be omitted and the rail engaging strap attached in any desired waly to the outside of the case.

n the construction here shown, the intermediate fiaps 6 form a double closure for the ends of the explosive, as shown in Fig.

2, and if only one closure is desired for the ends of the explosive and the rail-engaging strap attached in some other way, the intermediate fiaps 6 may be-omitted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 1. A railway signal torpedo composed of an explosive tablet rolled in a blank, said blank having an elongated body portion, one extremity of the body portion having oppositely extendin lateral flaps of a width .equal to the wldth of the tablet and of a an. explosive tablet and a blank, the blank havin an elongated body-portion, one end of which is provided with laterally extending flaps, and also intermediately located laterally extending flaps, all of said flaps having a Width equal to the Width of the tablet, the latter flaps having openings for a rail-engaging strap, the ends of the flaps doubled around the end of the explosive, the body-portion then wrapped therearound and the intermediate flaps turned up to re ceive the rail-engaging strap and also doubled around the ends of the explosive, the remainder of the body-portion Wrapped around and cemented forming a. closure for 15 FRANK BUTCHER. Witnesses R. W. JUNKER, G, M. LEONARD, 

